


I hope the sun and moon make friends

by oviparous



Series: I hope the sun and moon make friends [1]
Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Correspondence, Family, Friendship, Gen, Self-Discovery, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 04:27:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10654911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oviparous/pseuds/oviparous
Summary: Five teenaged boys meet each other in a rural town one summer, and the world is suddenly in order. Set in the early ‘90s, before mobile communications were a popular means of keeping in touch. Inspired by ZONE’s Secret Base, the 5x10 bus, and some say The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. ;)Originally written in 2010 for the JE Ficgames, Team AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is really special to me and I decided to put it on here for archival purposes, but I hope it finds an audience as well. I apologise for the difference in style if you're familiar with my current writing; this thing is seven years old, I was a really different person and writer back then. :) Enjoy!

In the fall, Aiba’s grandmother moved back to Ikeda, her sparsely-populated valley hometown in rural Fukui Prefecture. The decision came swiftly after her husband’s funeral. No one questioned it because Aiba’s grandmother was quite the matriarch.

When the following summer arrived, Aiba’s father decided they should visit because she was his mother and he was her only son. The family packed up and made their way to Ikeda, spending five hours on trains and another in a rental car.

Aiba’s grandmother had returned to her family home, in a village between two mountains. Aiba thought the large, sprawling traditional residence was cool. His brother thought the whole arrangement really sucked and whined about how his friends were all going to the beach for summer so why couldn’t they have gone too; Aiba’s mother boxed his ears because Obaa-chan was just old, not deaf. Aiba’s mother was relieved that Yusuke wasn’t Obaa-chan’s favourite grandson: if Masaki had made that remark, she would’ve been devastated.

Aiba sought permission to explore the township in his first hour of being there. He had always been a seeker. He had a natural thirst for life and never stopped finding something to do, something to think about or something to love.

It was Jun who found Aiba in the ditch.

*

_September 30, 1989_  
9:07 PM  
On my bed

_Hey 'Junnosuke'! Haha!_

_I know I was supposed to write sooner but I kind of lost your address (sorry I knew you told me to put it in my wallet). I was sitting on it until Nino called to ask if I’d sent off the letter, since October is tomorrow (I thought I still had until September 31st!!!). He says he’s got lots to write, and because of this tag thing that we’ve promised to do, he has to wait for his turn so I’d better send this off on time._

_So the point of the above paragraph is, sorry I’m writing this so late. I know I’m the starting point and all so if this reaches Sho-chan late it’s probably going to make him really mad (because you know how he can get all stupid with deadlines and such), so I hope you will send it earlier than the day before the next month rolls over!!! I KNOW THE REST OF YOU ARE READING THIS, I AM A BAD EXAMPLE AND PLEASE SEND THIS ALONG ON TIME WHEN IT’S YOUR TURN._

_Life is all right. My parents are crazy-busy at work, my brother is struggling with his high school entrance exam prep, and I am still trying to figure out all this Math. No matter, I still have the rest of the school year to catch up. Engineering Math is so difficult, oh my God. But I like my other classes. I think I’m going to do electrical engineering._

_We’re training like mad at basketball; the coach hopes to get the team into the Inter-High championships. I’m not too big on that because that’ll mean my entire summer will be spent in the gym, and though we left Ikeda not promising each other anything, I really want to go back. My friends are awesome, but they’re just not you four._

_Hope your mom is okay!_

_Aiba Masaki_

*

Jun hadn’t seen a lot of young people in Ikeda. In fact, Jun hadn’t seen a lot of people in Ikeda who weren’t in tour groups and over the age of fifty. The entire population numbered less than four thousand, after all. But Jun also hadn’t been around much, so it wasn’t like he had time to mingle with the townsfolk. All he did for his first three days was chant sutras under the Ryuusouga Waterfall, make a wish at the Suha-azuki Shrine and hike up a mountain to make food offerings at an ancient altar. He’d barely left the _minshuku_ he and his father were lodging at, what with the whole business of praying for his mother’s health.

So when Jun heard Aiba’s cries for help and followed the sounds, he was surprised to find a boy sweating profusely in his flannel shirt. His Bermuda shorts and sneakers were streaked with dirt, and when he saw Jun he yelped and waved.

Ikeda was characterised by mountains and agricultural plains, but sometimes the farmers would dig trenches to trap the wild boar that tended to terrorise their crops. Aiba had fallen into such a pit and was lucky he hadn’t broken anything.

Jun lay himself on the ground and tried to reach for the other boy, but he was tiny and couldn’t pull Aiba up by himself. He begged for Aiba to wait and fetched his father, who was still at the altar, making sure the oranges were neatly arranged. Together they rushed back to the ditch, where the older Matsumoto helped Aiba out of the trench. Aiba was nimble enough to heave himself out the last couple of inches, and started thanking the father and son while trying to explain his stupidity.

After making sure Aiba was really all right, Jun’s father started down the mountain; Jun surveyed Aiba and the earth that had caked his face.

“Sorry about your shirt,” Aiba winced, chewing his lower lip. “How much is it? I’ll pay you back.”

“Don’t be silly, it’s just dirt,” Jun answered, brushing his T-shirt. “I’m Matsumoto Jun. What’s your name?”

“Aiba Masaki,” Aiba answered, deeply relieved, and held his hand out for a shake.

Jun took it firmly, his cheeks rounding with a toothy smile. “Why are you in Ikeda?” he asked as they made their descent.

“Well,” Aiba checked his footing as he explained, “my family is visiting my grandmother. She was born here. My grandfather was from Chiba. He died last year, and that’s when she decided to move back.”

Jun turned back to look at Aiba more closely. “Are you in high school?”

“First year. You?”

“I’m in my last year of junior high,” Jun sighed. “It sucks.”

Aiba gave a winsome laugh. “That’s what we all said.” He paused. “If you’re in your last year, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be studying for your high school entrance exams?”

“It’s my dad,” Jun muttered. “My mother got sick and he became some kind of religious fanatic in search of a miracle. It’s ironic because he’s a surgeon. Anyway, we’re on some kind of pilgrimage. He says we have to be pious, so if she makes it past June we’ll be coming back here again.”

The boys talked as they trudged down the hill; Aiba found out that Jun was from Gunma, and Jun found out that Aiba had a talent for saying fairly airheaded things. Nevertheless Jun decided he liked Aiba a lot and asked Aiba to accompany him to their last stop for the day – the Zen temple at the foot of the neighbouring mountain. Aiba readily accepted – he would pray for his brother to stop being such a git – and that was how they met Nino.

*

_October 9, 1989_  
11:00 PM  
At the hospital

_Dear Nino_

_Thank you for making Aiba-kun send the letter. I’d been waiting and when the last week of September rolled around and my letter still hadn’t come I thought you guys hadn’t really existed and the three weeks I spent in Ikeda was just a figment of my imagination. I had to look at my planner, at all your addresses and phone numbers written in five kinds of handwriting, just to make sure you guys had actually been there. I wanted to call but I’m barely at home to use the phone, and by the time I get back from the hospital it’s too late. I don’t want to wake your families or even worse, have them think it’s some kind of emergency, so I think I’ll stick with the mail._

_Mom’s fallen asleep. She’s just in here for treatment, it’s not a relapse or anything, don’t worry._

_I would have written earlier if I could’ve found the time… Every day is a frantic blur. I’m the eldest so a lot of responsibilities fall upon my shoulders – ironing my brother and sister’s school clothes (it’s going to be a good one or two years before my sister is old enough to handle something like an iron; do you know how frickin’ hard it is to iron a pleated skirt?!), preparing my lunch (my siblings have a school lunch; I’m convinced that if I continue to eat bread for all my meals I’d never make it past the 1.5 m mark) and basically ensuring that my dad doesn’t die from all the chanting and shit. He’s lost a lot of weight recently._

_How is your prep for high school? I’ve been doing most of my revision at the hospital. I almost flunked my mock exams though. No surprise to the teachers, they all know what’s up with my family. I want to do vocational, like Aiba-kun, but my dad says the system’s a passing fad. He hopes I can go to a private high school and enter university. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I don’t see how I can when I have to visit my mother and take care of the house at the same time._

_Sorry if it seems like I’m complaining too much. I mean, I am, but you guys are the only ones I can tell all this to. My friends here don’t seem to get it. They’ve known me too long. They just seem sympathetic all the frickin’ time, and I don’t need that. I miss your jibes. You’d have something horrid and funny to say about all this._

_Peace,  
Jun_

*

Nino was popular, anyone could see that. He was at the temple gates, flipping his bangs and chatting up a pretty girl with a high ponytail, all the while waving to random elderly passersby, who seemed to know him as well because they waved back and exclaimed, “It’s Kazu-chan!” It was almost dinnertime and the girl asked if he wanted to join her family at a restaurant nearby before they headed back to Kanazawa. Nino declined; he knew better than to meet a girl’s parents before they’d even gone out on a date. Disappointed, she flicked her hair in his face and left.

That was when Nino caught sight of Jun and Aiba walking towards the main hall. The contrast of their heights made Nino want to stick between them to even it out, so he did.

“Hi,” he said smoothly, as he wedged himself between their two frames. “How are you two?”

Jun smiled back briefly before racing after his father, who was already making a beeline for the statue of Buddha. He left Aiba to deal with Nino.

“He’s on a pilgrimage,” Aiba tried to explain, unsure of how to react to this stranger.

“It’s okay,” Nino replied blithely. “How about you?”

“I’m visiting my grandmother for the summer…” Aiba scrutinised this boy. He seemed to possess only a vague sense of social propriety. It was slightly disturbing, if not intriguing.

“Who is your grandmother?” Nino probed.

“Well, you haven’t even told me who you are, so…”

Laughing, Nino extended his hand. “Ninomiya Kazunari. Everybody calls me Nino.”

Wondering if Nino was some teenaged stalker that murdered old people just for kicks, he took Nino’s hand warily. “Aiba Masaki. My grandmother just moved back to Ikeda in the fall. She’s–”

“Aiba Kimiko,” Nino finished for Aiba. “She’s the only Aiba in town. Well, not now, obviously, because you’re visiting, but you get my point.”

Aiba’s eyes widened. “How did you know that?” Maybe this guy _was_ some kind of teenaged stalker grandparent-murderer.

“Everyone in Ikeda knows everyone,” Nino smirked. “Are you going in?”

Aiba looked to where Nino was pointing. In the main hall, some devotees were kneeling, fervently whispering their prayers. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask the deity to make his brother less of an idiot. Maybe you couldn’t even use the word ‘idiot’ in front of Buddha. Maybe you’ll be struck dead.

“I think I’ll wait for Matsumoto-kun outside,” Aiba declared.

Nino grinned. “It’s not every day boys my age show up around here. How long will you be in Ikeda?”

“Till two weeks before school starts. We’re staying about a month.”

“A month!” Nino exclaimed, but Aiba couldn’t read the emotion in his voice. “That’s awesome. I think.” Nino didn’t stop smiling. “How about your friend?”

“I don’t know,” Aiba confessed. “We just met today.” Aiba then related to Nino how he’d been stuck in the pit for an hour until Jun’s father came to rescue him, and how Jun’s mother had some terminal disease so he and his father were on a ‘prayer journey’, as Jun had put it.

“Do you think Mattsun would be able to have a little vacation?” Nino asked, slipping into the nickname as if he’d known Jun from long ago.

Aiba shrugged, throwing a glance to the main hall. Jun was still inside. “What are you planning?”

“I could take you guys to the valley near my house tomorrow. There are some caves that could use some research,” Nino mused. “You in?”

Aiba nodded. “I’m in. Definitely.” He then hesitated. “Can I ask my younger brother to come along?”

Nino pondered upon this for a moment. “How old is he?”

“Fifteen.”

“Would he want to come?”

“…No.”

“You could try,” Nino laughed. He got up, dusting his jeans. “I’ve got to run. My grandfather will kill me if I’m late for dinner again.”

“Wait, how about tomorrow? And Matsumoto-kun?”

Nino stopped, turning to face Aiba once more. “Ask Mattsun if he’s game, and if he is, the both of you – okay, and your brother, if he’s coming – wait for me outside the convenience store at eight tomorrow morning.”

Aiba frowned as Nino started jogging off. “Which convenience store?” he called.

“There’s only one!” Nino hollered back, waving goodbye. “See you tomorrow!”

*

_November 1, 1989_  
3:41 PM  
In school, at my desk

_Sho-chan, one of my top choices is a boys’ school. Am I courting suicide or am I making informed decisions for my academic career?_

_Ninomiya Kazunari_

_PS. I lied to Aiba regarding the ‘lots to write part’. Sorry if that got your hopes up._

_PPS. I MISS YOU, OH-CHAN_

_PPPS. I tried to call Jun-kun. Seems like he’s always at the hospital or asleep._

_PPPPS. Jun-pon, you are a pathetic whiner with stupid friends. But I love you anyway. Was that horrid and funny enough for you? Stay cute always._

*

At eight that morning, Sho got out of the pickup truck, unlocking the tailboard to reveal crates of produce from his uncle’s farm. His uncle killed the engine and, grabbing a stack of the consignment, motioned for Sho to follow him through the alley.

As Sho rounded the vehicle, he saw a boy looking at him interestedly, the hint of a smile ghosting his lips. Sho returned the look with stolid indifference and continued to the back door of the store, the weight in his arms reminding him of his responsibilities. His uncle went into the store to look for the shopkeeper; Sho was left to complete the delivery.

When Sho returned to the truck to collect the squash, another boy had appeared. This one was wiry and, judging by his demeanour, had a less suspicious intent. He was also arguing with the first boy, something about how two minutes wasn’t ‘late’.

Silently, Sho begged to differ. Late was late, no matter how many fractions of a second had elapsed. But he had learnt to cope with differing standards across a depraved society.

As he made his way back to the pickup after unloading, he was surprised to see the tardy one helping his uncle carry a load of cucumbers. The boy grinned at him before squeezing past, and Sho blinked, unable to comprehend his motive. Maybe society wasn’t so depraved after all.

His next trip back to the truck made him shriek because another boy the size of a large penguin was attempting to lift a crate off the bed. “Stop, you!” Sho commanded, and Penguin Boy guiltily hopped off the running board. (The _running board_. This kid obviously hadn’t met a pickup truck before.)

“I was trying to help,” the boy tried to justify himself.

“Elementary school kids shouldn’t try to unload freight,” Sho chided, leaping onto the bed to retrieve the crates that were stacked closest to the cab.

The first boy, the one who had eyed Sho in the beginning, burst out laughing. “He’s going to high school next year,” he informed.

Sho was mortified, but careful not to show it. “You should be taller for your age,” he griped to the midget, though he himself hadn’t remotely experienced any signs of a growth spurt till he was in his second year of junior high.

Sho grabbed another set of crates and looked steadily at the age appropriate-looking one from head to toe, appraising his stature. “You could help,” he stated frigidly. He got a grin in return.

Making an annoyed noise with his nose, Sho entered the alley once more, only to be obstructed by the one who had been late, who gamely introduced himself as Aiba Masaki.

“Sakurai Sho,” Sho answered crisply, before pressing himself against the wall to pass by. Aiba actually turned to follow him.

There was a commotion at the back, and when Sho and Aiba reached the door the shopkeeper was trying to shake his bleary-eyed son awake.

“…so hard for you to help me move some boxes? These young men are doing such a fine job, yet my son is wasting his entire morning in bed!”

“What young men, Dad?” yawned the shopkeeper’s son.

Furious, he grabbed the teenager by his pyjama collar and turned him towards Sho and Aiba.

“Hi.” He bowed sleepily. “I’m Ohno Satoshi.” This earned him a smack on the head.

*

_December 2, 1989_  
10:00 PM  
Room. Desk.

_To Satoshi-kun._

_It’s me._

_Kyoto is getting colder. It’s hard to believe December is here already, isn’t it?_

_I’m up to my neck with editing the school newspaper. But I need my report card to look good, so I can’t slack off._

_How are your studies coming along? It’s going to be our final year of high school soon. I’m nervous. I’m already starting to look at universities. I can’t decide what to major in, though. My parents are thinking Business._

_Nino asked about being in a boys’ school. Let me take the chance to rant that I hate being in a boys’ school. I’ve been in one for five years and I think I am a fair judge of whether it is good for a person’s well-being or not. The attitudes of the people here are almost militant, I tell you. It is as if they have been born into this world just to compete in academics. Then again, it may be because I hate losing. This is getting complicated, on a psychological scale. Do not attempt to read too much into it._

_But you’re Satoshi-kun. You won’t._

_I could use some of your flaky wisdom now, Satoshi-kun. I am in need of advice. But that is a subject to be dealt with at a later date._

_And, on that cryptic note, I shall sign off._

_From Sakurai Sho._

_PS. I talked to Matsujun. He sounds exhausted. But he is fine. His family is well._

*

Ohno was a genius.

His parents couldn’t believe it at first; their better-educated relatives had surmised that Satoshi should be checked into an institution for mental health and it freaked them out because that was tantamount to Satoshi living the rest of his life an exile. It _was_ the early 70’s, after all. However, the psychiatrist affirmed that Ohno had indeed tested in the top five percentile and his cognitive ability was more developed than that of his peers. His spacing out and taciturnity were the results of being unable to relate to other five-year-olds.

Years later, Ohno’s parents still couldn’t believe that Ohno was a genius because he was a sloth; they normally didn’t associate good brains with an unmade bed. They tried to instill virtue in their son, drawing up schedules that consisted of homework and chores, but nothing seemed to work.

It didn’t come as a surprise to Ohno when his father shook him out of bed to make him move stock. His family had acquired the shop about ten years ago and it was their main source of income. Ohno could see that it had been a smart investment; his parents monopolised the commodities market in Ikeda because there was only one convenience store, and there were enough tourists to generate returns.

As his father dragged him out through the back of the store, Ohno bowed in greeting to Taniguchi-san, the market gardener who supplied the store with fresh produce from his farm. Taniguchi-san gave him a brief nod before lighting up his cigarette.

Ohno didn’t expect to see the two boys in the alley leading to the street, so he introduced himself (because that was good manners and Ohno had just been brought up that way) before picking up a couple of crates. His father instructed him to place them in the storeroom while he opened up the shop.

Ohno obeyed, carrying the produce into the family enterprise. As he passed, he bowed at Taniguchi-san once more.

Taniguchi-san stared at him curiously from the table where Ohno’s mother usually did the accounts. “Satoshi-kun, you’re in your second year of high school, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Ohno put down his boxes and stopped to answer the question.

Flicking his cigarette over Ohno’s father’s ashtray, Taniguchi-san mused over this knowledge. “What do you think of drugs?”

Ohno thought he’d heard wrong. “I’m sorry, sir?”

Taniguchi-san looked extremely uncomfortable, the tips of his ears turned pink. “It just – you look so dazed all the time–”

“That doesn’t mean I’m on drugs.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Ohno gave Taniguchi-san a small smile.

Taniguchi-san took a long drag on his smoke. “Sorry, Satoshi-kun. I watched you grow up and all, you know? Shouldn’t have thought that of you.”

Ohno nodded.

Taniguchi-san held Ohno’s gaze. “Can you do me a favour?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Make friends with my nephew,” Taniguchi-san sighed, pointing outside with his cigarette. “I can’t figure him out. He’s complicated and I heard you’re a genius.”

Ohno smiled, and said he would.

*

_January 14, 1990_  
6:31 PM  
Train to Fukui City

_To Aiba-chan~_

_It’s so cold!!!_

_How was your birthday? I wanted to send you a present since I had all the time since December 3 to send this letter to you (Sho is so conscientious) but I had no idea what to get you until I met your grandmother over the weekend! She told me your parents got you a Walkman, so I bought a cassette tape and recorded me, your grandma and Nino’s grandfather singing ‘Happy Birthday’ on it. They’re great singers. There’s a singing competition coming up in Ono in the spring, they want to enter. They asked me to join them but it’s only for seniors. I have to wait 40 years to be eligible!_

_Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s hard to believe we are in the 90’s, isn’t it? For the New Year my family closed the shop and went back to the city. My grandparents on Dad’s side still think it’s funny how they’re the ones living in the city and my parents are living in Ikeda. They make the same joke every year, about how they raised a hillbilly (my mother isn’t too happy because it means she married one). I told them it’s for the sake of the economy~_

_Now that school is in, I only go to Ikeda on Fridays and come back to Fukui on Sunday evening. It’s tiring! Though I have to say, it used to be a meaningless commute but after I met all of you, every time I leave Ikeda I feel like I’m leaving something behind. I never thought I would be one to say this, but I’m glad my parents work in Ikeda, and I live so near!_

_Nino called me during the New Year to send me his wishes. He told me he called the rest of you too. We talked for an hour! I was really happy. I called Sho as well, and Jun; they told me they received calls from you too. I’m glad! You know, I decided not to call you because I wanted our first contact of the year to be this letter. Thank you for coming up with this idea, I think it’s really special and meaningful~!_

_I’m excited to receive this bunch of letters again in June. Rest assured I will keep them well until we meet again, hopefully!_

_Satoshi_

*

With the convenience store open, it meant the boys could get provisions for their trip to the valley. As Ohno’s father lifted the shutters, Nino pressed his nose against the glass to peer inside the shop.

“It looks exactly the same,” Nino breathed, caught in some kind of spell. He turned to look at Ohno’s father. “Ohno-san, do you remember me?”

The middle-aged shopkeeper squinted at the slight figure crouching outside his business. “Nope,” he decided, squatting to unlock the glass doors.

“I stayed in Ikeda for a year, when I was six,” Nino ventured. “I’m the Ninomiya’s grandchild…?”

Upon hearing the name, Ohno’s father stood up and blinked. “Are you… Wait, _Kazu_?”

Nino broke into a grin. “Yeah! Wow, you have no idea how happy this makes me.”

Ohno’s father beamed. “You’re so big already! What are you doing here? And where is your sister?”

“My family is visiting her in Italy,” Nino laughed. “I don’t like travelling, and they weren’t very convinced I can take care of myself, so they asked Jii-chan if I could stay with him.”

“Excellent. Have you seen Satoshi yet? I’m not sure if he remembers you…”

“He has to! We played together every day.”

Jun and Aiba sank into a state of confusion as they listened to Nino’s conversation with the shopkeeper. “I thought you said Nino was local?” Jun questioned.

“Well, he never said he wasn’t,” Aiba conceded.

It was at that moment when Ohno came out of the alley and approached the morose Sho, who was leaning against the pickup, waiting for his uncle to finish collecting payment. Within the elder Ohno’s earshot, Ohno asked Sho if he wanted to go fishing that afternoon, much to his father’s disdain. Sho declined, but Nino overheard and said he wanted in. Ohno devastated Nino with a ‘Hello, who are you?’, and Jun asked Nino whether they were still going to the valley or not, and Aiba asked Sho to come along. Sho said he wasn’t going anywhere with anybody, at which point his uncle intervened and told Sho he had the day off so he should go out and be social.

Then it rained.

*

They ended up crowding in Ohno’s tiny, messy room, where Nino fell upon the Super Famicom like a paedophile on a child. He was, obviously, an addict; his parents knew he would starve to death should they leave him to his games for an entire month and found sense in putting him in the countryside.

Aiba then asked Nino, searchingly, if he really was local. Nino shrugged and said he was a quarter local, since his grandparents were from Ikeda. This seemed to satisfy Aiba, but Jun wanted to know where Nino really was from. Nino was being cheeky and didn’t want to say, when Ohno suddenly shot up to his feet and pointed at him.

“You moved to Tokyo!” he exclaimed, and Jun had his answer.

“No, I was _from_ Tokyo,” Nino deadpanned, though inside he was deliriously happy because Ohno had finally remembered who he was. “My mother moved here for a year to look after her dying mother-in-law, and she brought me and my sister along.”

“Oh yeah, I remember your sister now… She had really nice teeth.”

“You never stopped being weird, did you?”

Sho then made an attempt to leave, but Jun asked him to stay and, finding Jun extremely cute with his big eyes and chubby cheeks, Sho couldn’t refuse.

“We haven’t introduced ourselves properly,” Jun called out, trying to gain control of the situation. “Let’s do this properly. I am Matsumoto Jun, in my third year of junior high, and I’m from Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture. My mother is sick, my dad is looking for a miracle cure, so I’m here for a pilgrimage.” He bobbed his head at Sho. “You’re next.”

Sho shifted his eyes around the room. “I’m Sakurai Sho. Second year of high school. I’m from Kyoto, and I’m here to help out on my uncle’s farm.” He scuffed the floor with his toe. “Nice to meet you,” he managed at last.

Nino had to be tugged away from connecting the Super Famicom to Ohno’s little TV. “I’m Ninomiya Kazunari,” Nino began, distracted. “Where’s the output cable?”

Ohno prodded Nino in the side. “Be a sport.”

Nino deadpanned. “I’m from Tokyo, in my last year of junior high, and my grandfather is babysitting me while I’m on summer vacation. There. Now where is that cable?”

“Wait, you’re my age?!” Jun cried, sounding betrayed. How could it be, when Nino was a whole head taller?

“Yeah,” answered Nino cursorily, more interested in fiddling with the game console and getting it to work.

Aiba sat cross-legged on the floor and nudged Ohno. “I’m Aiba Masaki. You’re the only one here who doesn’t know my name. You’re Ohno-kun, right?”

“Hi, Aiba-kun,” Ohno inclined his head slightly. His civility made Aiba grin.

“I’m from Chiba, in my first year at a vocational high school. My grandmother just moved back to Ikeda in the fall. This is actually her hometown.”

For some reason, Aiba’s exchange with Ohno instigated Nino to plant himself between the two, muttering something about how Oh-chan should be helping him look for the cable instead of flirting, and Ohno pointed out that Aiba wasn’t a girl. Nino ignored him.

“Actually,” Ohno started, adjusting his position on the floor so he could face Aiba better, “this isn’t my hometown. The shop is here, that’s why I’m around so much. On weekdays I live with my grandparents in Fukui City.”

Jun was paying careful attention to what everyone had to say, and it was this earnestness that caused Sho to abort his notions of escape. He wondered if there were really potential friendships forming between all five of them, then quickly dispelled the thought. He wasn’t in Ikeda to make friends.

“YES!” Nino gave a squeal of triumph as he located the cable under a pile of dirty laundry. He plunged it into the socket and expertly set up the entire system up in thirty seconds. The Super Mario Brothers cartridge was already nestled firmly in the console’s control deck.

Nino flung his hand out to Sho, giving him one of the controllers. “Mario or Luigi?”

Ohno grinned at Nino approvingly.

Seconds lapsed, Sho gaping at Nino and his unprecedented initiative. Nino grew impatient. “Luigi then,” he simpered, throwing the gadget into Sho’s palm. “The rest of you decide who’s going next when Sho-chan loses.”

“ _Sho-chan_?” Sho squeaked, unsure if he was supposed to seethe or rejoice at the endearment, and the fact that Nino had a ridiculous amount of self-assurance.

“What makes you think Sho will lose?” Aiba interjected, and Sho whipped around to face him. What was with this first-name basis thing?

Jun put up his hand. “I’ll have my turn after Sho, if you don’t mind.”

Sho gave up.

*

The following day was mundane compared to Aiba’s first weekend in Ikeda. His new friends were all busy, even Nino, who had to visit his grandmother’s grave.

Aiba strapped on his trainers, ready to do some more exploring, this time within the confines of the land his grandmother’s family owned.

On Sunday, the five boys had played a whole afternoon of Super Mario before Jun actually beat Nino, much to the glee of everyone. Nino didn’t seem too fazed, though. The boys were beginning to think Nino was more likeable than he presented himself to be. They then bought some pre-packed sandwiches from Ohno’s father and had lunch together by the river, during which they found out Sho could crack some really funny jokes about boulders.

Aiba hiked for about an hour in good spirits, scenes from Sunday playing in his head, keeping him cheerful. He traversed the grassland, catching bugs he’d never seen before and keeping them in a glass jar. His grandmother had told him that as a young girl, she used to come out in the summer evenings to catch fireflies; he made a mental note to do the same.

Shielding his eyes from the sun, Aiba cast his vision over the land and spotted an odd shape in the distance. He bounded towards it and as he got nearer, his eyes glassed over in delight because he had found the perfect secret base.

*

“YUSUKE!” Aiba hollered as he crashed into the entryway of his grandmother’s house, drenched in sweat. He hurriedly peeled off his shoes and skidded across the polished wooden floor to the room he shared with his brother. “You’ve got to come see this!”

Yusuke looked up from the comic he had been reading. “What is it?”

The brothers looked alike, had similar manners of speech and belonged to the same set of parents, but they were still markedly different. Yusuke was less excitable and had lesser regard for authority. It wasn’t too shocking that he didn’t share his elder brother’s interests.

“I found a _BUS_!” Aiba panted, his grin making his cheeks ache. “Well, it’s got no tyres and it’s rusty and everything, but it’ll be awesome to camp in. Remember how we used to tie our blankets to the lower bunk of our bed and pretend it’s a fort?”

Yusuke stared at Aiba. “What are you, twelve?”

Aiba’s shoulders slumped dejectedly. His mother had mentioned Yusuke was in a stage of rebellion, which Aiba had thankfully bypassed. He hadn’t understood what she meant. Till now.

*

Ohno was ringing up the purchases of an elderly lady when Aiba vaulted into the shop, a sheen of perspiration on his face. Ohno bowed, thanking the customer, who minced past the glass doors that Aiba held open.

He rushed to Ohno the moment the old lady left. “Listen,” Aiba whispered urgently, “I don’t know if you appreciate stuff like this, but do you happen to be interested in an abandoned bus that may serve very well as a secret base?”

Ohno’s eyes gleamed. “Wait here, I’m going to ask my mom to man the till.”

*

Aiba had expected Ohno’s set of keys to be for the bicycle shed, but when Ohno led him to a Datsun Cherry he had to gawk.

“Are you sure you’re allowed to drive this?” Aiba thrust an accusatory finger at the sedan.

“Why not?” Ohno unlocked the car.

“Because you’re underage?” Aiba hissed, his eyes wide. “You’re a second-year, right?”

Ohno furrowed his brow, puzzled, before he realised what Aiba was talking about. “I took a year off after junior high. Don’t worry, I’m legal.”

Aiba blinked. Then he broke into a huge grin.

They drove to the village at the opposite side of the valley, where Taniguchi-san’s farm was. They parked alongside the paddy, where Sho was weeding and reading his biology textbook that was propped on a low stool. Ohno asked if Sho had some time, to which he didn’t look up from his book and replied in the negative; Taniguchi-san stepped out from the greenhouse, said something in undertones to Sho to make him frown. Moments later, Sho begrudgingly asked the other two to wait for him.

*

In the car, Aiba explained that while he knew roughly where all of them were that day, he wasn’t familiar enough with Ikeda to know how to get there. The only place he could remember how to get to was the convenience store in the town centre; that’s why he looked for Ohno first.

They headed south, spent half an hour searching for a parking lot before having to trek up a wooded incline and cross a bridge over a river. None of them really complained, though, because the weather and summer views made the experience spectacular.

It was almost noon when they reached the shrine, a semi-famous one that showcased the panorama of Ikeda and its south-side neighbour, Imajo Town. Jun was tying a wish for his mother on a bamboo frame, and his father was tying four, for each member of his family.

Upon seeing this, Aiba wrote a wish for Jun’s father, insisting that he not be left out.

They waited under a _torii_ for Nino, whom Jun revealed was also there. Nino emerged from the cemetery minutes later, the rims of his eyes slightly red. He was genuinely surprised to see the other four, who got to meet Nino’s grandfather for the first time. The old man invited them to his house for dinner the following evening, and didn’t let Sho say no.

*

Nino picked the middle seat, and they all saw why when he started angling his elbow on Ohno’s shoulder and shouting “Look out!” at inappropriate times. Ohno didn’t seem to mind. He liked Nino enough. Jun then expressed his apprehension at whether Ohno was legal to drive; Aiba helped to address that question. Nino confiscated Sho’s biology textbook, which he had snuck into his knapsack, unbeknownst to his uncle, and taken out whenever he rode in the car. Sho tried to get it back, but Nino passed it to Aiba, who shoved it into the glove compartment and told Sho he’d return it after they saw the bus.

With Aiba’s directions, the five arrived at the grassland just before nightfall. Aiba showed off his vehicular discovery, and the boys agreed it had definite secret base potential. Sho saw it as a viable place for summer revision.

The exterior was a faded azure, and Ohno immediately decided to take it upon himself to embark on a refurbishing project. Jun suggested red paint, to make it look like those London buses. Aiba thought the blue was quite charming and was reluctant to see it go, so Nino married their ideas and proposed painting only the bottom half red. A brilliant proposal was then rendered by Sho, who said varnish would liven up the blue to bring out its original hue.

“This place needs a tetanus shot,” Nino muttered as he boarded the vehicle. There were no seats in the bus save the driver’s and in the back, thanks to the previous owner’s efforts. The steering wheel, brakes and gear shift were intact, but after years of changing seasons, the interior of the bus had suffered.

Ohno perused the peeling paint and lesions of rust. “We can plaster aluminium foil on the walls,” he said, which made Aiba request for him to lead the project.

A couple of days later, after Aiba made sure that the plot of land was indeed his grandmother’s and he could do whatever he wanted to the bus (her nephew had procured it second-hand; he was rather avant-garde for his time and wanted to make it into a home, but gave up halfway and built a brick-and-mortar instead), the five of them tied _teru teru bozu_ to the windows and began to work.

*

The two-week business of vivifying the bus was interspersed with picnics, fireworks and fishing at the river, and by restricting their painting to days that forecasted no rain, the boys were able to fit a healthy amount of Super Mario into their schedules as well. Sho gradually opened up, ‘forgetting’ to bring a textbook when he arrived at the grassland or all their other shared appointments.

When the bus was declared habitable the boys gamely spent a night in it; they woke up covered in insect bites, and Nino found a large bug in Sho’s ear. They never tried camping again. Sho developed a phobia of beetles.

Jun’s father had returned to Gunma, after Jun had pleaded to stay till the week before summer break ended. The surgeon refused at first, but relented when he found out Jun was going to be staying with Aiba, whom he thought was a good influence; this puzzled the others greatly, because Aiba had his head in the clouds most of the time. The rest of the adults were reasonably fond of the boys and, knowing that they didn’t have many more days in Ikeda, allowed their charges to spend the rest of vacation together.

The night before Jun left they all had a sleepover at Nino’s; but not before catching ten jars of fireflies, which Aiba made them promise to let go in the morning. They returned to the house long after the sun had set, unwilling to switch on the living room lights for fear of waking up Nino’s grandfather. Guiding their steps with their flashlights, they placed the glowing captives by their futons and quietly laid their nets upon the floor.

One by one, each boy clicked his flashlight off, allowing the fireflies to illuminate the area around their feet.

Aiba hugged his knees close to his chest. His eyes became moist and he fought the urge to cry. “Are you guys coming back next summer?”

Sho shrugged placidly. “ _I dunno_ ,” he said in English, making the rest erupt into fits of hushed giggles.

Jun was pensive. He looked around the circle. “I told you guys, right? We’ll come back, my dad and I. If Mom makes it, we’ll be back.” His voice cracked.

Nino inched closer to him, making a swift decision. “I’ll be here, if you’re coming.”

Jun nodded, swiping at his eyes, embarrassed.

Aiba took a deep breath. “I’ve actually thought of what we should do.” He reached for his bag and, after a bout of fumbling, drew out a piece of lined paper. “I’ve invented a game.”

“You want to come back, so you invented a game?” Sho frowned, wrinkling his nose.

“Yes. We’re going to play tag – with mail,” Aiba clarified. “Look at this,” Aiba spread the piece of paper on the floor and set four jars of fireflies around it.

Nino knelt on his futon to read the scrawl. “Is this some kind of schedule?”

“That’s right, Nino-chan,” Aiba beamed. “The reason why this needs to be a game is because we need motivation to keep in contact; so we’ve got to have fun doing it! We write in the order of how we met each other, starting with me because ‘a’ is the first _kana_. Deadlines are the last day of every month. We can send our letters out any time after the ones addressed to us arrive, and every time we send letters out, we also have to send out the ones we receive. Just to keep everybody in the loop, you know?”

Jun peered at the schedule. “So, say I receive a letter from you. I will then write one to Nino and put the letter you wrote to me in the envelope as well?”

“Yup. This way Nino can read both mine and yours.”

Nino was sceptical about the game helping them stay close to one another. “But since we already know who is sending letters to whom, why don’t we just mail that person whenever we want to?”

“Then it wouldn’t be tag anymore,” Sho and Ohno said together, before exchanging glances and slapping each other an amused high-five.

“How about replies?” Nino argued. “What if you want to answer the letter that was sent to you? You have to write to the next person, right?”

Aiba grinned. He had it all figured out.

“This bit of game-play is less restrictive. You can either call your sender, which wouldn’t be as fun, or write your reply in the letter that you send out, maybe in a postscript or something. You wouldn’t receive your reply until we start forwarding, though. Try to keep the replies short so we have some suspense going.” Aiba jabbed a finger in the air as he realised something. “A lot of this game hangs on suspense,” he said slowly, righting all the ideas in his head. “As you can see from the schedule, we write to each other from September to January, and then we begin the forwarding process.” He tapped the piece of paper. “See, in January I would’ve received everyone’s letters from Oh-chan, but Matsujun wouldn’t have read Nino’s, Oh-chan’s and Sho-chan’s, while Nino wouldn’t have read Oh-chan and Sho-chan’s and so on, right? So we will forward the entire bunch of letters to each other, February through June. Even though it’s the second time you’re seeing some of the letters, it’s nice to be reminded of what you wrote and what you got.”

“But by the time we begin the forwarding process, most of our lives would have been a few months out of date,” Jun challenged.

Aiba wasn’t fazed. “Then we call, or we come back in summer for a real-life update.”

“What do I do when the letters reach me?” asked Ohno, pointing to his name, written beside ‘June’.

“You keep them and hand them to the respective addressee when we come back to Ikeda,” Aiba announced with a flourish. He felt smart for luring all of them back with mail.

Sho put up a hand. Aiba called on him.

“Teacher, all this sounds very interesting, but what if I want to contact one of you and my turn hasn’t come to write a letter?”

“Call,” Aiba said simply. “There are no rules for calling.”

Nino snorted. “Then what are the letters for, if we’ve got telephones?”

Aiba slung an arm around Nino’s neck, sighing in mock sympathy. “You don’t seem to get the point of this, Nino-chan.”

“I don’t, not really.”

“Letters are tangible,” Ohno remarked. “They’re like a keepsake, a trigger to some kind of past experience.” The rest nodded.

Aiba continued, “When we get them back, we can think: ‘What had I written to so-and-so that elicited such a response?’ Telephone conversations just disappear after you hang up. Having a piece of paper in your hands, covered in someone else’s handwriting, is special.”

“The evidence of a memory,” Sho supplied, his voice soft. “I like that.”

Jun nudged Nino. “It’d be hard to forget.”

Nino conceded with a grin. “It will.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, all five of them piled into Nino’s grandfather’s pickup truck (all the farmers in Ikeda had one) to pick up the rest of Jun’s luggage. When they reached Aiba’s place, Aiba’s grandmother came to greet them, and Nino revealed he only knew who Aiba’s grandmother was because his grandfather had a colossal crush on her. There was definitely a vested interest in him allowing Nino to hang out with Aiba and not help in the fields. Aiba was slightly horrified, but calmly stated that their grandparents were both excellent Japanese citizens. Ohno wondered what that had to do with anything. Sho assured that he’d get his uncle to keep an eye on them. Jun couldn’t find a shred of sense in the entire conversation.

*

Nino left the same day Aiba did and hitched a ride with his family, much to the displeasure of Yusuke. Yusuke hadn’t really gotten over the absence of a beach in Ikeda and spent the entire month moping indoors. Aiba had tried inviting him to hang out with his friends but Yusuke stubbornly kept his head buried in Shonen Jump, ignoring his brother’s goodwill.

Ohno promised to take care of the bus, and when it was Sho’s turn to go he was upset that he hadn’t revised more biology in it. Sho promised to send Ohno’s letter on time and forward him the mail. Ohno asked him if he’d be back next summer. Sho confessed that he didn’t know. Ohno gave him a hug, and Sho felt like crying as he entered his uncle’s pickup, waving to Ohno until he was just a dot on the horizon.

*

Every day in June, Ohno checked his mailbox. If he was in the city, he called his parents to ask if he had any mail. When he was in Ikeda, he thought of assaulting the postman but instead waited patiently and bowed in thanks.

Nothing came.

July rolled around, and Ohno started phoning Sho, who never seemed to be home. Ohno had refrained from calling him the previous month, but the delay was worrying. Of all the five, Sho was the least likely to send out the mail late. Ohno hoped the letters weren’t lost in the last leg of transit. 

Nino arrived in Ikeda with the entire Ninomiya clan on the third Monday of the month. “They wanted to check out Jii-chan’s girlfriend,” he had moaned to Ohno when they met at the convenience store. “I _told_ him not to tell my mother!” Ohno replied with a sympathetic hug.

To escape from the madness of his grandfather’s now-overcrowded farmland, Nino elected to stay with Ohno for the rest of summer vacation. Aiba arrived three days after Nino, alone this time; Jun and his father a week later. The other three were shocked at Jun’s new height; he was as tall as Nino now, though still round around the edges.

Ohno updated them on the situation with Sho. Days passed; they waited. Sho didn’t come.

*

They bid Jun’s father goodbye in the first week of August; Jun was to stay an extra ten days. All of them were antsy. They felt guilty for feeling like Sho had forgotten them, or worse, was trying to avoid them; but it certainly looked like that because there was always some sensible excuse for him not to come to the phone. In any case, Sho hadn’t promised that he would be back. But, Ohno remembered, he had promised to forward their letters.

Nino suggested they focus their efforts on something else. Sho would contact them of his own accord when he was ready. They decided to continue renovating their bus. Jun wished for an electric fan and Ohno said he could bring one, if someone could wire it up to a battery. Aiba said he would give it a try. Nino volunteered to cover the steering wheel with foil (for a more complete look). After a few days the bus was looking ridiculously upgraded – Ohno had even created a hood ornament – so the boys decided to stop.

It was then that Ohno realised they had been overlooking somebody who could clue them in on Sho’s whereabouts. Chiding himself for not doing so earlier, he herded the boys into his car and drove them to Taniguchi-san’s house.

*

Taniguchi-san served them cups of cold barley tea, his expression grave. He made sure they were all seated around the low table before he blurted: “Sho is in reform school.”

There was a stunned silence.

“You mean, like an institution for wayward kids?” Aiba croaked, disbelieving.

Taniguchi-san nodded.

Ohno’s lips had gone pale, he folded his fingers together as he leant forward. “Is it okay for you to tell us why?”

Taniguchi-san looked at them for a beat. “Amphetamines,” he uttered. “Sho was taking them.”

Nino gaped. “ _Drugs_? Sho-chan was on drugs?”

Ohno recalled that conversation he’d had with Taniguchi-san a year ago in the back of his parents’ store. He felt stupid for not understanding the situation sooner.

“Please don’t think he’s a bad kid,” Taniguchi-san’s voice was gravelly, but they could all hear he was pleading. “He started taking them when he entered high school. His parents put a lot of pressure on him because he’s got an older brother who’s, you know–” Taniguchi-san made a small cowering gesture.

“A hermit?” Jun suggested, not saving any tact.

“I was thinking ‘withdrawn’, but I guess you could put it that way. My sister and her husband… They pin a lot of their hopes on Sho,” Taniguchi-san continued darkly. “They’re very strict, and cannot take losing any face. Got him into a prestigious school and everything.”

“Are they really rich or something?” probed Nino.

Taniguchi-san shook his head. “Middle-class. But they feel that they’re respectable people, y’know? They don’t want to be looked down on by others so they’re very hard on their kids. Sho only took the drugs because it helped him stay awake to study, and he got fantastic results, so he kept taking them until he got busted by his mother.”

Aiba struggled to find words. “When he was here… Was he…?”

“No,” Taniguchi-san immediately replied. “You know Sho. He obeys people with authority and seniority, all that. My sister told him he had two choices for rehabilitation: my place, or reform school. They wanted him to undergo some kind punishment for taking those stimulants, learn how to rely on himself, not some drug. They thought my place could offer some hard labour, teach him a thing or two about life.”

“So why is he in the institution?” Jun became impatient.

“He started taking them again.” Taniguchi-san chafed his sun-browned face with his palms, distraught. “He was so stressed. His university entrance exams are in February, and he has to do well enough for a scholarship because his father may get laid off.”

“Sho-chan got caught?” Nino guessed.

“By a teacher.” Taniguchi-san’s heart ached for his favourite nephew. “They expelled him, and he’s in there trying to finish his high school education.”

“How are his parents taking it?” Ohno wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“Not too well,” Taniguchi-san admitted. “But they are starting to realise that they’d been pushing Sho too hard. He is such a good kid; nobody should have treated him that way.”

“Where is he exactly?” Jun took out a notepad to copy down the address.

“Kyoto Juvenile Training School…”

Aiba grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Do they allow visitors?”

“I’ve gone twice.” Taniguchi-san was astonished to tears. “You boys are such good kids!” He clapped Ohno’s shoulder. “I should have let him meet you sooner.”

Ohno clutched Taniguchi-san’s hand firmly. “What matters is that we did.”

*

Sho was sullen as he waited behind the glass panel for his evening visitor. He wondered if his mother would do what she did the last time: sit there for an hour, unmoving, blinking back tears. Seeing her disappointment was worse than being locked up in a juvenile school.

He froze when Aiba entered.

“Hey,” Aiba gave Sho a shy smile, casting a quick glance to the staid police officer eyeing them from the corner and inclining his head as an afterthought. Hurriedly seating himself on the other side of the glass, Aiba edged towards Sho.

“Are you okay?” Aiba scanned Sho’s pallid face. “Are they treating you well?”

Sho had to twine his fingers together because they were trembling so badly. “Why are you here?” he rasped though he knew his uncle must have told them.

Aiba was hurt by the way Sho said that, but he steeled himself, knowing that he had half the battle won because Sho hadn’t tried to leave the room. “We came to visit you.” Aiba kept up his smile. “Don’t be like this.”

Sho remained silent.

“I won the _janken_ , so I got to come in first. They’re giving each of us five minutes. Apparently you’re very well-behaved,” Aiba grinned bravely. “They say they don’t mind giving you four visitors.”

Sho propped his elbows and hid behind his hands, making a strangled noise. “Why did you guys have to come?”

Aiba’s face crumpled. “Because we love Sho-chan.” Unable to handle the tension, Aiba started to cry. He excused himself and left the room. Guilt gnawed at Sho’s conscience.

*

Nino came sauntering in next and Sho felt relieved that it wasn’t Jun. Sho wouldn’t be able to deal with another crying friend, much less one that looked like a cute little boy.

“It was a mistake letting Aiba come in first,” Nino scraped his chair across the linoleum as he spoke. “Sorry about that.”

Sho couldn’t help but marvel at Nino, who seemed to act like visiting him in a detention centre was the most natural thing in the world.

“Anyway, Sho-chan.” Nino settled his chin at the base of his palm. “How did you get the drugs?”

Sho gawked for a moment before he came up with a mechanical reply. “A boy I met at cram school sold them to me.” Sho shrugged. “It’s not that uncommon. We just want our grades.”

Nino reclined into his seat and crossed his legs. “You don’t need to take amphetamines to get your grades.” He rolled his eyes. “You’re _Sakurai Sho_.” Nino leant forward, placing his face close to the portion of the glass where holes were punctured.

“And you’re not an idiot.” 

Nino winked and got up to leave, waving to Sho without a backward glance.

*

Jun strode in and made a beeline for the chair. Sho stared at him for awhile before saying, “You’ve grown.”

Jun nodded. “165 cm.” He then scowled. “Where are our letters?”

“Uh, at home. I hope.”

“You’re horrible,” Jun stated flatly.

“Sorry.”

“Did you get them before you came in?” Jun demanded.

Sho squinted in recollection. “I don’t think so.”

Jun blew at his bangs, exasperated. “When are you getting out?”

“November.” Sho figured that Jun was trying to divert his emotions to manage them better. Otherwise it was puberty. Either way, Sho felt comforted that Jun was choosing to meet him like that, because it made things much easier.

Jun took a while to digest this. He looked straight into Sho’s eyes. 

“We’ll be waiting for you next summer. Don’t forget.”

Sho swallowed the lump in his throat and rubbed his nose to stop the twinge. He nodded.

*

“I’ve decided to be a teacher,” Ohno announced as soon as he sat down. “I didn’t do very well in Japanese and English. But it doesn’t matter because I’m going to teach art.”

Sho looked confused.

“You asked me how my studies were going, in your letter,” Ohno replied patiently.

“Oh. Right.”

“Are you still going to do Business?”

If it weren’t Ohno, Sho would have felt that this person sitting so nonchalantly on the ‘free’ side of the glass was mocking him. But it was Ohno, and Sho couldn’t think that of him, ever.

“I may do something like Literature or English.”

“Really? Where?”

“Some small university in Kyoto, maybe. Anywhere that would be willing to give me a scholarship or, at least, a bursary.” Sho gave a bitter laugh. “You?”

“I’m applying to Nara University of Education.” Ohno paused. “If I get in, we’ll be less than an hour apart. I don’t even need to change trains.”

“I’m glad.” Sho smiled, meaning it.

“The rest don’t know yet. I wanted you to be the first.” Ohno balled his hand into a fist, pressing it against the glass. “Let’s work hard together?”

Sho touched his knuckles to the barrier as well, and bit his lip as his eyes filled with tears.

*

_September 1, 1990_  
7:00 AM  
In my dorm.

_To Aiba-chan._

_It’s me again. I’ve sent so much mail to the rest of you this summer that I need to remember this one is special._

_Thank you for sending me the schedule, although you could have told me earlier that I was going to be the first to start this year’s Tag._

_I know I have said this in all the letters the five of us have written over the summer, but since this is officially the second cycle of our game I would like to say thank you. I’m very sorry for causing all of you so much mental turmoil and heartache, and I am sorry for making you cry the first time you visited._

_And to all of you. I am very sorry for not confiding my problems. If you do not find me a nuisance, please let me bother you with my troubles whenever they arise. Thank you very much._

_Now, apologies aside. I am doing well here, especially in my studies. The other boys even come to me for tutoring. I think I may just major in Business after all, and open a cram school._

_I’m kidding. It’d be bad if people start selling amphetamines there._

_My parents and I had a long talk the other day, in the counsellor’s office. They are not going to interfere in my studies from now on. But I shall do my best to get into university. Not so much for them as for myself. My brother has also started undergoing therapy for his reclusion, and my father has found a new job. It looks like things are starting to get better._

_How are you doing? Is your brother still insufferable? And my uncle told me your grandmother revealed something about you having a girlfriend, what is that about?_

_I shall wait for your reply. I will be home November 6, do not send the next batch of mail here._

_From Sakurai Sho._

_PS. The other day a new kid arrived in my dorm. He looks very much like King Kong. He was about to hit me but I stopped his fist with my palm. I guess those arm muscles that I've developed are not air muscles after all, eh, Nino?_


	3. Chapter 3

_October 12, 1990_  
11:21 PM  
In the living room 

_Nino!_

_I’ve gotten the photos developed, and there’s a set for everybody. Please take one and forward the rest. I know how stingy you are, so there are some stamps here as well. Buy the envelope yourself!_

_I’ve told you over the phone, but seeing that Sho-chan has been writing an abridged version of the news, I need to repeat this in writing for the benefit of the rest. My mother has been bragging to anybody who knows me that I have a girlfriend. Obviously, she found the need to tell my grandmother, and since my grandmother also likes to brag, she had to tell all the people living in Ikeda who know us that I have a girlfriend. Oh my God I DO NOT. I am being stalked, you guys. This girl is in my Social Studies class this semester and she follows me around. She is crazy._

_Back to Nino: I think she suits you though. Her name is Masami. I should hook you guys up, since you’re just an hour away and all._

_Yusuke seems to have ended that weird phase of being a horrible person and is now behaving like my brother again. He’s taken up boxing. I’m kind of scared because he’s grown so big._

_I dropped out of basketball because second year Math is killing me. It doesn’t help that I’m in the electrical engineering track, so our Math papers are like, set by Einstein or something. Are you coping okay in high school? It’s strange how you and I never seem to talk about school. Anyway, you seemed fine in first semester, so I hope it’s still good._

_Okay, I’ve got to go do some revision. There’s a test on circuits tomorrow; I’m kind of glad I wired up that fan in our bus because nothing beats hands-on experience._

_Aiba Masaki_

_PS. Oh-chan, I hope you’re taking good care of our bus!_

_PPS. Sho-chan is going home soon! YAAAY!_

*

_November 25, 1990_  
6:18 AM  
On my way to school

_Dear Oh-chan ♥_

_Happy birthday!_

_Here’s a jacket for you! I hope you like it. Contrary to popular belief, I do buy presents for people. Also, I got a discount on postage because Aiba gave me some stamps. He’s got some photos for us too, please take a set and send the rest to Jun-kun and Sho-chan._

_Did Sho-chan call you? I bet he called you first. Oh well, we all have to make choices. I’d have called you first too!_

_You’re applying to a national university, right? I’ve been reading up on the new system; you have to sit for two exams. Tough. Don’t die!_

_I’m doing okay in school. I’m glad I listened to Sho-chan and chose the public school instead. My best subject is Japanese. I got full marks on my last test. Congratulate me!_

_I can’t write much because I’m standing in the train (you probably can tell, my handwriting is usually not this horrible) so I’ll stop here._

_Oh by the way, I think I’ve reached the end of my growth spurt. Whatever. That makes two of us ♥ Call you soon! Tell your parents I said hi._

_Love,  
Kazu_

_PS. Sho-yan, I will never stop seeing them as air muscles so you can save your story for someone else._

*

_December 22, 1990_  
10:19 AM  
At the cash register

_To Jun-kun~_

_I’m back in Ikeda~! Aiba-chan’s sent us photos; I love your expression in the third one!_

_I’ve just put up a new layer of aluminium foil in the bus. My dad has been deducting the expenses from my pocket money. I haven’t told him where the fan went. Never mind, it’s winter so he won’t notice anyway!_

_I’ve been preparing for university entrance exams. How are you doing with school? I’m worried for you. Take care, okay? I called you last week but your little brother said you were at your part-time job. Since when do you have a part-time job? Why do you even need a part-time job? Sorry I’m asking so many questions!_

_This morning I went to the shrine with my mother, and we decided to write a wish each for your mother. I really hope she gets well. You know you can call whenever you want to! You have my grandparents’ number, right? I’m there on weekdays._

_Okay I’ve got a customer approaching with aluminium foil! I’ve got to ring it up, so I’ll hear from you soon~ Sorry this was short! I’ll call you tonight!_

_Satoshi_

*

_January 24, 1991_  
9:08 PM  
At the hospital

_Sho-san,_

_Happy birthday! I’m sorry I can’t send you anything more decent than the photos we took with Aiba-kun’s camera. This was supposed to be a birthday present for you, I wonder if the others remember. Remember what you said way back, something about the letters being an evidence of a memory? We figured photos would have the same effect, so we saved a space for you every time we took one. That’s why there’s always an awkward gap between Aiba-kun and me, haha._

_Thank you for the phone call. It was nice to hear from you again. I’m fine, really. Study hard for your entrance exams, okay?_

_My mom says hi. She’s right beside me. She thinks you’re very brave, and wishes for you to get that scholarship. We’re all rooting for you!_

_I've told my father that I may just not go to university. I don’t know, there doesn’t seem to be any meaning in it. I’d rather go out and work or something. Waiting tables at the family restaurant has exposed me to so much; I realise I really like working._

_My aunt has been staying at our place to look after my brother and sister. She’s nice, but kind of neurotic. I don’t know. I miss my mom a lot more when my aunt is around, because she’s SO not my mom. It’s so weird to say this when my mom’s right here. I want her back in the house. She hasn’t been home since before Christmas._

_I know you have problems of your own at home. You shouldn’t have to listen to my gripes. I glad your dad found a job. Don’t stress out._

_Peace,  
Jun_

_PS. Kazu, where’s my birthday present?_

_PPS. 170 cm! YES!_

*

Jun’s mother died that spring.

It was the middle of the first month of school, and Aiba had been petrified as Jun tried to steady his voice over the phone. The doctors had just removed the life support and Jun said he thought they should know. Within the hour Aiba had disseminated the information to the other three, and they all agreed they wanted to go to Gunma.

Sho and Ohno had been accepted to their universities a week before and had nothing on their hands, plus they could drive, so they made their way to Gunma as soon as they heard, even though it was already nine in the evening. Aiba and Nino, however, had to beg their parents to let them skip school the next day. Aiba’s parents knew who Jun was and readily agreed; Nino had a harder time, but Nino was better at throwing a tantrum.

Nino told Aiba to come over to his house in Tokyo, where they scrambled to arrange the logistics, cursed at the unavailability of overnight transport (and affordable transport in general), finally booking a highway bus from Akihabara Station that would take them straight into Maebashi City the next afternoon.

Jun hadn’t known they were coming, and squawked when he opened his front door in the morning to see Ohno, who informed him that Nino and Aiba were arriving at three PM before collapsing from sheer exhaustion on the couch. Sho took the longest to arrive because he lived the furthest. By evening, they were all there, suited in black and holding prayer beads. They could not help commenting on the weight Jun had lost and how good-looking he had become and how tall he had grown (Nino sounded wistful). Jun was able to laugh, and it was then he knew the world wasn’t going to end.

*

Shortly after the funeral, Ohno went to Ikeda to help out with the convenience store at his father’s request, since he had nothing else to do but wait for school to start. For the same reason, Sho went back to his uncle’s farm at around the same time.

Nino wanted to go to Ikeda the moment school let out but his sister, who had been finishing up university in Italy the previous year and hadn’t gone when the entire family had made their visit, foiled his plans by offering to drive him there if he let her come along. Jun’s father, who said that his mother had lived longer than the doctors had expected, had plans to bring all his children on a ‘thanksgiving journey’. 

Aiba arrived on July 25th with Yusuke, who wanted to meet their grandmother’s boyfriend. It was still awkward calling Nino’s grandfather that, and Aiba avoided when he could. Their grandmother made sure Yusuke was settled before pulling Aiba into the kitchen.

“Obaa-chan?”

His grandmother let go of his hand and exhaled through her teeth. “Masaki, I’m afraid I need you to close up your bus.”

Aiba raised his eyebrows. “ _Close up_ my bus?”

Aiba’s grandmother nodded. “We’ve found a buyer for the land, and the bus will be taken away.”

It took a few seconds for Aiba to understand the gravity of the situation. “You _SOLD_ the land?!”

“Yes. I told the buyer my grandson has some business to finish and he will be done with it this summer.” She looked at him imploringly. “It was never a permanent thing to begin with, right?”

Aiba wanted to cry.

*

Jun and Nino arrived in the first week of August and Aiba broke the news. He apologised to Ohno, who had painstakingly maintained the secret base for two years in the others’ absence. Ohno knew it was nobody’s fault and assured Aiba that it couldn’t be helped.

In his spare time over the past few weeks Sho had varnished the entire bus in preparation of their third summer together and Aiba said sorry to him as well, because his effort was now rendered futile. Sho knew Aiba was the saddest of them all and just returned the sentiment with an arm draped on his shoulder.

They took a farewell photo with the bus, with the help of Yusuke (“It doesn’t matter that he sees the secret base, if it’s going to be demolished,” reasoned Aiba), and started to clear out their things. The fan was detached from the battery box and returned to Ohno’s father’s office. Sho recovered a box of stationery from under the backseats. Jun asked if he could keep the hood ornament Ohno had made. Ohno agreed. Aiba moved the folding chairs and table back to his grandmother’s place. Nino made sure the other four took sips of water, and mopped their brows when necessary.

When the furniture was removed, they started taking down the aluminium foil. There was enough to make some kind of sculpture, Ohno reckoned, and he would keep it for future art projects.

They lined up alongside the length of the vehicle for a final goodbye; the polished red and blue reflected their sombre expressions as the sun set over the meadow.

Nino broke the silence. “It’s just a bus,” he said flippantly, squeezing Aiba’s and Jun’s hands as tight as he could.

It was a nocturnal summer because the younger three had to spend time with their siblings and parents and grandparents, while Sho and Ohno had to work, so they only met in the evenings at each other’s houses, having dinner together and, whenever they were not playing Super Mario, indulging in the telling or retelling of ghost stories (once, Ohno came up with a Japanese adaptation of _Puppet Master_ ; Aiba didn’t sleep well for a week). 

Their customary end-of-vacation sleepover was relocated to Sho’s home; Nino’s sister claimed that having the boys around would encroach on her privacy, but Nino suspected it was because she had an inappropriate crush on Sho, who was five years her junior and duly informed of the situation. He agreed red-faced that it was better to have the commune on the other side of the valley.

It was then they finally found time to talk – Sho convinced Jun that dropping out of high school was not a good idea, and Aiba advised him to arrange for a transfer if he was unhappy with the system. Jun said he would consider.

The conversation then shifted to Ohno, whose decision to become a teacher still remained shrouded in mystery. He explained that he liked children and art, and it really was that simple. And teachers didn’t get retrenched so easily.

Aiba’s school had an elevator system so he was to be spared the agony of university entrance exams, gaining direct admittance into Chiba Institute of Technology in spring. However, he also had the option to graduate high school and start working, so what should he do? None of them had advice for Aiba on this, though Nino pointed out Aiba was already struggling with Math in high school.

Sho had found solace in fiction when he was in the juvenile training school, immersing himself in works by Murakami and a handful of Western authors; he applied to the Faculty of Letters of three different universities and was accepted into all of them. He chose the one nearest to his home, but hadn’t decided on what he wanted to major in.

Nino shocked everyone with the revelation that he was definitely going overseas for university. He wanted to pursue a degree in film, and Japan wasn’t the place to do it. In any case, Nino was only in his second year of high school; he just thought he should inform them early.

That year, Aiba was the first to leave, but not before he drew up a new schedule for them to send their mail (Nino was to start). Jun’s family had been visiting the rest of Fukui and he was to meet them in the city before they went back to Gunma. Nino and Sho headed home on the same day. 

As he waved to their departing cars, Ohno was left in a swallowing state of loneliness.


	4. Chapter 4

_September 2, 1991_  
10:27 PM  
Where I am is none of your business 

_Junnosuke, happy belated birthday! I’ve enclosed a sheet of aluminium foil I nicked from the bus as your birthday present. What’s the skinny on your school situation?_

_Ninomiya Kazunari_

*

_October 13, 1991_  
12:20 PM  
Living room

_Dear Aiba-kun,_

_I took your advice and applied for a transfer. It cost a lot of money because I have to start over from first year but because my mother had insurance, my family ended up being able to afford it. I’m starting in spring, with a concentration in – don’t laugh – acting. My father wasn’t very inclined to the idea; I told him there was nothing else I wanted to do._

_Right now I’m working at the family restaurant. It's part-time, so it’s not too tiring. I like the idea of earning my own keep. It was kind of weird, though, when I served my previous homeroom teacher and his wife and kids, and on a separate occasion, my ex-classmates. But they were friendly. Most of my friends think I’m making the right decision by pursuing what I’m interested in._

_My brother and sister (your greatest fans) keep asking me when you are going to take them firefly-catching again. Did you tell them that you like turtles? They want to send you one for your birthday, by post. I don’t know how that is even possible, but I told them you’re very protective of animals and it might be a bad idea to try._

_I’ve got to go cook lunch. Talk to you soon. And next time, please don’t schedule Nino near any of our birthdays (with the exception of Ohno-kun, he seems to get better treatment)._

_Peace,  
Jun_

*

_November 25, 1991_  
7:02 PM  
Classroom

_Oh-chan,_

_Happy birthday! I made you a fishing lure. Don’t you think it looks like Matsujun?!_

_Today we had career guidance counselling, so my teacher met with my parents. When they started talking about university, I almost immediately knew I wasn’t going there. It was so easy to realise, you know? Just like that! I knew I would be free from the bondage of Math. I never want to count again!!! (There’s still my last semester, though. I just need to scrape through.)_

_It’s so scary how we’re all kind of grown up now. I’m going to be working the next time you see me, and you and Sho-chan are going to be in university! That’s so cool. Nino and Matsujun are still the babies in high school, haha. Especially Matsujun, who has to start from first year… But it will be awesome! Can you imagine him being an actor? He’d have to have some kind of cool stage name, like ‘MJ’ or something! Matsujun, are you reading this?_

_Are you having fun in school? According to the guidance counsellor, university isn’t what we expect it to be. Then again I’ve never expected university to be anything. How about you? Is it what you thought it was? Also, take lots of pictures with the deer in Nara! I want to see._

_I’m taking my first driving lesson on my birthday! With any luck, I’d be able to drive Matsujun and Nino to Ikeda the next time._

_Aiba Masaki_

*

_December 5, 1991_  
9:30 PM  
In the common room, watching TV

_To Sho-chan~_

_Thank you for visiting me last weekend!!! It was such a nice surprise! My roommate says you're very handsome! Hahaha~_

_I have a class in which all we have to do is fold origami! School is really not what I expected, because I thought university would be a place of studying and hard work, but it’s not all that. I’m surprised in a good way! Next week I will visit an elementary school._

_How about you? Are your classes as fun as mine? I hope they are, though I know I wouldn’t appreciate Literature the way you do…_

_Next time I’ll visit you, all right? Do you want to spend winter break together? We can do that before we go back to our hometowns for New Year’s. What do you think?_

_Satoshi_

_PS. Aiba-chan, you drew eyebrows on the minnow!!! Matsujun is going to get mad._

*

_January 28, 1992_  
1:20 PM  
Mechanics lecture

_To Nino._

_It’s me._

_Thank you for your phone call. I am happy that your sister has found a boyfriend. Give her my best wishes._

_School has been enjoyable. I am doing a lot of study on Western postmodern influences on Japanese literature in the past fifty years and it is highly stimulating for my intellect._

_We have to take compulsory modules in other non-related fields. I chose Math. I haven’t the faintest idea what I was thinking when I selected it; maybe I was curious as to why Aiba-kun disliked it so much. I wasn’t too bad at Math in high school but this is radically different from whatever I was acquainted with. I think Aiba-kun and I can form some sort of hate club for the subject._

_Satoshi-kun and I went to Ikeda during winter break. The area behind Aiba-kun’s grandmother’s house has been boarded up. She asked us to help shovel snow off her roof, and we got to look. Our bus is gone._

_But like what you said: it’s just a bus._

_See you this summer._

_From Sakurai Sho._


	5. Epilogue

Masaki.com _has been added to the conversation._

 **89 Productions says:**  
YOU'RE LATE

 **Masaki.com says:**  
Hi everyone

 **Masaki.com says:**  
Sorry, my daughter wanted me to read her a bedtime story

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
Guess what my wife just found in my drawer

 **Sakurai Sho, Asahi Shimbun Newsdesk says:**  
Amphetamines?

 **MJ says:**  
HAHAHA

 **Sakurai Sho, Asahi Shimbun Newsdesk says:**  
Sorry, that never gets old

 **MJ says:**  
What did your wife find in your drawer?

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
A letter Nino sent

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
She read the first two lines and went, "Who is this woman?" 

**Ohno-sensei says:**  
haha 

**89 Productions says:**  
I'm not giving your children otoshidama anymore

 **Masaki.com says:**  
You'd better apologise, Oh-chan

 **Masaki.com says:**  
Uncle Nino gives big and you will want that otoshidama for your kids' trust fund

 **MJ says:**  
Wouldn’t Nino have signed off with his name?

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
She found the first sheet

 **89 Productions says:**  
You misplaced the last page?!

 **Masaki.com says:**  
Wait, Nino used TWO sheets of letter paper?

 **89 Productions says:**  
I was homesick, all right?

 **Sakurai Sho, Asahi Shimbun Newsdesk says:**  
You only wrote me half a page the entire time you were in the US!

 **MJ says:**  
Sho, be thankful you got any at all

 **MJ says:**  
The moment text messaging was invented he didn’t bother sending me letters anymore

 **89 Productions says:**  
Sho’s my brother-in-law. You’re just my friend

 **MJ says:**  
Oh, wow. Plan your wedding yourself, then

 **89 Productions says:**  
You know, I liked you better when you were 15

 **Masaki.com says:**  
Oh-chan, what did Nino write?

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
‘Dear Oh-chan ♥’

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
‘It is freezing in Michigan’

 **89 Productions says:**  
Satoshi, you and your family are officially off the guest list

 **Sakurai Sho, Asahi Shimbun Newsdesk says:**  
Does anyone remember that the point of this online conversation was to plan Nino’s wedding?

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
‘But I feel warm when I write to you’

 **Masaki.com says:**  
Oh my God, Nino wrote that?

 **Sakurai Sho, Asahi Shimbun Newsdesk says:**  
Okay, apparently not

 **Masaki.com says:**  
No wonder Yumi-san got jealous

 **89 Productions says:**  
One less kid to receive an otoshidama from Uncle Nino

 **Masaki.com says:**  
HEY

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
‘You make me think of summer, and Sho-chan and Jun-kun and Aiba-shi’

 **MJ says:**  
Aww that’s actually quite sweet

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
‘Though mostly I think of you’

 **MJ says:**  
…And I take that back

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
That was the first sheet 

**Masaki.com says:**  
It was kind of short…

 **MJ says:**  
Nino cheats by using a lot of spaces, remember?

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
Now that that’s done

 **Ohno-sensei says:**  
What’s the theme of the wedding?

 **Sakurai Sho, Asahi Shimbun Newsdesk says:**  
amphetamines

 **Masaki.com says:**  
hahahahaha

 **89 Productions says:**  
About that…

 **89 Productions says:**  
I kind of bought a bus.


End file.
